Succulents are among my favorite plants simply because they are so easy to maintain. You don’t have to constantly give them attention to keep them looking good. In addition, they are great for indoor plants. I’ll show you how to plant succulents inside for a beautiful way to add natural decor.
Growing succulents is a great choice for beginner gardeners. You don’t need a ton of expertise and they don’t require extensive care. I’ve got an indoor succulent planter to share with you that you can use on a tabletop or hang on the wall.
Nature Hills Nursery was kind enough to gift a planter to me to test out and share with all of you! And while it was gorgeous on its own, I decided to modify it a bit to fit our decor.
Supplies for Planting Succulents Indoors
- Indoor Hanging/Tabletop Succulent Planter (I chose the 5×7 size, but they are available in 8×10 and 4×6 as well)
- Succulent potting mix
- Succulents
- Paint – I used Sherwin Williams Black Magic since I had it on hand from a previous project.
- Wooden Craft Dowels
- Wood Glue
Of course, the paint, craft dowels, and wood glue aren’t necessary if you aren’t modifying your planter. I have some leftover paint in the color SW Black Magic so that’s what I used for mine.
And since the original planter had more of a rustic look, I modernized it a bit to fit our dining room decor.
So here’s what I started with for my succulent planter:
Before we get to the actual planter part, it might be helpful to have a bit of info about succulents before you start.
What Are Succulents?
If you aren’t familiar with succulents, it might help to know what they are.
Succulents are a group of drought-resistant plants that store water in their leaves and stems.
What Kind of Potting Soil Do Succulents Like?
Succulents do not like to sit in soggy soil. They require little water so you want to make sure you use the right soil. Potting soil with a mixture of organic material, perlite, pumice, limestone, and peat moss is ideal for succulents.
Basically, they require potting soil that promotes adequate drainage and decreases the chances of rhizome rot which happens when the soil is soggy.
How Long Do Succulents Live Indoors?
That all depends on what succulents you plant inside. Some varieties like Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum) can live 3-4 years for the original plant but will grow other plants during this time.
Others can live for decades depending on the environment and care.
No matter which succulents you choose to plant indoors, you will likely have years of a gorgeous planter.
How Much Water Does My Succulent Planter Need?
Not as much as you think. Water requirements for succulents are very low because they store water in their fleshy stems and leaves. Wait until the soil is completely dry before watering – some will go weeks in between and still be perfectly fine.
Overwatering can be one of the main causes of the death of succulents.
How Much Sunlight Do Succulents Need?
Typically, most succulents require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Place them in a window, change on a wall that gets the most sunlight, or on a table in a sun-filled room.
If you notice your succulents are looking a bit leggy – aka, they are reaching and growing at odd angles, chances are they are trying to get more sun.
If you notice this, move your planter to a sunnier area. You can’t reverse the damage, but you can improve it going forward.
Back to our planter!
Again – I wanted to modernize mine a bit to go with our dining room decor since this is where I want my planter.
I used the leftover paint to put a light coat of paint around the edges. The bottom reservoir part is already black polymer so this step is very quick.
When the paint dried, I started attaching my wooden dowels. I have 6-inch dowels and they lined up perfectly for the 5×7 planter. I used four on two sides and three on the other. Using the wood glue, I put a thin line of glue on each dowel and then stuck it onto the planter.
Repeat that process until you get a design you like. If any of the wood glue spreads out too much, just wipe it away with a damp cloth. I had a few spots that my paint rubbed off (you can see in the picture below) so I touched them up after I was finished gluing the dowels.
And now it’s time for the fun part – Adding the succulents for your indoor planter!
You can find succulents at garden centers, grocery stores, online nurseries, and even on Amazon. I found this pack of five that is very affordable. I didn’t have a specific type I wanted – I just knew I wanted a bit of color and leaf variety.
For this size planter (5×7″), I’d recommend at least five succulents. You want them to be packed in there because you have the option of hanging this planter on the wall if you’d like.
The planter comes with short and long pins you can use to make a grid that secures your plants for wall hanging. I am using mine as a centerpiece so I didn’t add these. But I’m saving them in case I ever want to hang the planter on the wall.
How to Plant Succulents Inside: Arranging Your Succulents
I chose to use the soil that the succulents came in (they usually come in tiny pots of soil). Add some succulent potting soil to fill in the gaps if necessary.
Arrange them together kind of snug, especially if it’s going on the wall. I just rearranged mine until I got the look I wanted. I have a few purple colors mixed with green to give it some more variety.
A few more advantages to the planter are an easel you can attach for making it an easel display and a water reservoir to catch excess water if it’s hanging or easel style. Since mine is tabletop, I didn’t attach the reservoir.
And here’s my finished succulent planter!
If I were hanging mine on the wall, I’d add a few more succulents and make sure they were a little tighter inside the planter so they don’t fall out and you can’t see any gaps. But, I love the way it turned out.
Elements of natural decor are such a fun way to bring a little bit of the outside into your house. Planting succulents inside can often be an easier way to try out your green thumb too! Since they are so easy to maintain, they can almost be effortless.
Be sure to check out these indoor plants you can keep alive also!
